Halloween vs Dia de Los Muertos: the Differences

If you're like us, you're hyped for fall! It's a time for warm drinks, freshly baked homemade goodies, pumpkin pies, costume parties, and altars for the dead. We're talking Halloween and Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)!

Both holidays have very different traditions, but both are super interesting--and both include important celebrations.

Halloween and Día de Los Muertos come with thousand-year-old traditions. Our favorite spooky holiday is of Celtic origin but popularized in the U.S., and the second is of 100% Mexican origin.

The proximity of the dates on which these traditions are celebrated has caused them to merge for some, creating a fun, unique mix of festivities.

But today we're discussing their differences and how you can create your own celebration this year.

Día de Los Muertos

This Mexican holiday's mainly about honoring the spirits of loved ones who have departed the earthly world with an ofrenda (a makeshift altar) that includes everything they loved in life: drinks, desserts, dishes, and even other things like tobacco and alcohol. Beyond being a ghostly party, Día de Los Muertos celebrates death, since it's seen as an opportunity to reunite with the souls of the dead and greet them with food, music, and lots of partying.

Here are some interesting facts:

- It's celebrated on November 1 and 2.

- It's been around in some form since before the Spaniards arrived, as the indigenous people of present-day Mexico believed that death was only the beginning of a new life.

- After the arrival of the Spaniards, it became an indigenous and religious celebration.

- Día de los Muertos was listed by UNESCO as an official Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2008.

- The traditional sweets usually consumed on these days are pumpkin with piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar) and chocolate skulls.

- Offerings are placed on the ofrendas with photographs of the deceased and their favorite foods, drinks, flowers, candles, and anything else that keeps their memories alive.

- The cemeteries are filled with joy since so many people show up in good spirits to enjoy the company of their deceased loved ones. 

- The animal that represents Día de Los Muertos is the Xoloitzcuintle, a Mexican dog breed, who is said to accompany the dead to the underworld, Mictlán.

- Sugar skulls, pan de muerto, and cempasuchil flowers are some other symbols of this celebration.

Halloween

This tradition is over 3,000 years old and has evolved from its darker ritual foundations to a fun family celebration full of costumes, games, parties, and candy.

As previously mentioned, it got its start with the Celts, as on the last day of October, they celebrated "Samhain," which means "end of summer."

Here are some more facts about Halloween: 

- It's celebrated on October 31 internationally.

- It really blew up in the U.S. in 1921.

- Children dress up as their favorite characters and go trick-or-treating. Adults dress up too, of course, and aside from attending some of their own Halloween parties in the days leading up to the holiday, they usually accompany their kids on the night of the 31st.

- Baking pumpkin pies, apple pies, and Halloween-themed cookies is a tradition, and lots of people enjoy making delicious caramel or candy apples.

- People decorate their houses both inside and out with spider webs, ghosts, monsters, witches, pumpkins and anything scary and/or fall-ish.

- The representative animal for Halloween is the black cat, since centuries ago, people wrongly believed that demons and witches were reincarnated through them. This is absolutely false, of course, and many have turned it around and instead advocate for black cat adoptions!

Huge, round orange pumpkins and witches on broomsticks are definitely the most representative of Halloween.

Now that you're a little more well-versed in the differences between these two fall holidays, try celebrating both this year and create fun traditions for years to come!

Also, download and print some of these Halloween and Día de Los Muertos greeting cards for the season!